Second Chances
by Confused Grapefruit
Summary: Why's jelousy such a presence in our lives? When a bizar love triangle forms between Mai Katsumoto, her zanpaktou and Renji Abarai turns disatrourus, what will jelousy do to turn our main characters in to accepting what is there?
1. Prologue

**A.N: **Hello! This is my first bleach-fic! YAY!

First things first; there will be a pronunciation guide in here so the readers won't get confused.

Second thing; this fanfic's main character is a OC.

**Disclaimer:** I Don't own bleach but I own Mai and her zanpaktou...........

**Pronunciation:** What the word means is in parenthasis

Taichou: Tie-cho (Captain)

Fukutaichou: Foo-koo-tie-cho (Lieutenant)

Gomen: Goh-men (Sorry)

Shinigami: Shee-nee-gahm-ee (Death God)

Zanpaktou: Zahn-pahck-toe (Soul Slayer)

Katsumoto: Cat-soo-mo-to

Hitsugaya: heet-tsu-guy-a

Abarai:Ah-bah-rye

Renji: Ren-gee

Tatsuya: Taht-soo-yah

Matsumoto: Mat-soo-mo-to

* * *

It was around 6 years ago since I was last assigned to Kakura town, Hitsugaya-Taichou sent me there to help take care of the growing Hollow problem.

My name is Mai Katsumoto, 2nd Lieutenant Mai Katsumoto of the 10th division.

I was engaged to Abarai Renji as well but I don't want to talk about it.

I have pale skin, butt length ink black hair usually tied up, bright blue eyes, and very skinny and very tall.

I am fiercely loyal to my leaders and those whom I trust. I can be silly, but it's not something I do normally.

Well, its 6 years later and I'm here to tell my story.


	2. Chapter 1

* * *

**Disclamer: **I don't own Bleach but I own Mai Katsumoto so don't go stealing her.

* * *

**7 years previous**

I was late, very late. My division meeting was scheduled to start at 5:00 but it was 5:15.

"GOMEN TAICHOU." I ran in to the door as said that.

"Mai, you're late again." Hitsugaya scolded. I was always late for division meetings; no matter what I seem to do I sleep in till four, take a shower and always wind up being late. (I'm a night owl)

"Matsumoto-Fukutaichou, please inform Mai of what we were just discussing."

"Sure thing Hitsugaya-Kun!" After the debriefing I sat down and started listening to Hitsugaya-Taichou intently.

"Recently there have been several accounts of hollow attacks on the world of the living. Yamamoto-Taichou has given us the responsibility of sending some of our squad to clean up the problem."

"Hai!" All squad 10 members replied.

"Mai-Chan," Hitsugaya started

"Yes Taichou?" I said.

"I want you to take 4 able-bodied shinigami to the10th district of Kakura town. Matsumoto-Fukutaichou, you are to take 10 squad members to the 14th and 15th districts, Loki Narako, take 5 members to the 12th district and Garyuu Kyouya take 10 members to the 11th and 13th districts."

The three people nodded.

"Taichou, what are the other members supposed to do while the 31 people are gone?" One of the rookies asked.

"The rest of you are to do what we have been doing." Hitsugaya answered. "Mai, Matsumoto, Loki and Garyuu assemble your squads and report back to me with your list in 2 days time, and then you are to get your gigai and leave. That is all." Hitsugaya dismissed us after another short division 10 meeting.

* * *

_**Later that day **_

* * *

"Oi, Mai!"

"Renji-Kun!" I said. "What's up?"

Now, Renji is your typically clothed Shinigami, tall wearing black hakama and kosode, plain white tabi socks and tatami sandals. However, he looks completely different compared to the average Shinigami. He is tall and covered with tattoos from head to foot. He has long red (not orange) hair and red-gold eyes that you could get lost in. He's always wearing some sort of headband or his ridiculous sunglasses. (He was wearing the sunglasses)

"Oh, hey Mai!" Renji gave me a quick kiss. "Nothing here yet. You?"

"I'm leaving for Kakura town in 2 days with 4 of my squad." I replied kissing him back quickly.

"Is it because of the Hollows?" He asked.

"Yeah, our squad has been posted in the 10-15th districts." I said, thinking it over. 31 people for 5 city sectors, it didn't quite add up. "Renji-Kun, who do you think should take with me from squad 10?" I looked intently at him.

"Hmmmmmmmm," Renji started "Maryunama Izanagi is a good scout, Arai Hitoshi's not bad at close range fighting and then you've got Yamashita Kin who's good at long range fights; her Zanpaktou after all is a bow."

"Arigatoo Renji-Kun, I'll look into it! Sayonara!" We exchanged kisses once more and I went to go draw up my squad list.

* * *

_**2 days later**_

* * *

"Taichou, I have my squad list!" I belted as I walked into his quiet office.

"Very good Mai." Hitsugaya signed the list and handed it back to me expecting me to leave.

"Taichou?" I asked hesitantly.

"What is it Mai?" He replied.

"Thanks for earlier, I mean I never got to thank you and--"The captain cut me off.

"Shhhh, it's ok Mai. No thanks are needed." Hitsugaya smiled a bright smile and I blushed and walked out.

* * *

Renji was being a hot-head again; earlier that day we got into this huge fight over what seems like now a trivial thing. We were in my room in squad 10's barracks; Renji accused me of cheating on him with my Zanpaktou while I was regarding my affectionate behavior towards him as a "special relationship".

"RENJI how could you think that!? You love me!"I shouted.

"Oh, it's easy Ms. 'It's only my Zanpaktou' and I still love you if it weren't for your Zanpaktou." Renji rebutted.

"That has nothing to do with it!"

"It does to!"

"Does not!" I argued. "Tatsuya-Kun has nothing to with our relationship! He's my Zanpaktou and I've got a special relationship with him as you do with Zabimaru-san!"

"It's not the same! I've seen what you 2 have done behind my back." He spat.

"It is too the same and besides, my kissing him is payment for his services!"

"FINE! I'm not arguing with you anymore Mai. We're through as I can see that your "special relationship" with "Tatsuya-Kun" is taking precedence over what we had." Renji was in tears as he drew his Zanpaktou, Zabimaru, at me causing me to draw as well.

"Renji, don't do this! You're going to get us into a hell of a lot of trouble if you don't stop." I cried.

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want to do Mai!" He came at me and swung down at my head, I parried easily raising my Zanpaktou, Tatsuya, to great his. A great metallic clash sounded and we jumped back ready to keep the momentum of our moves going. I took Tatsuya and twisted him around and slashed at Renji's sword arm but that was easily blocked. Renji then took Zabimaru did another down swing at my head but I wasn't ready, I rolled out of the way but not quick enough and Renji clipped my shoulder.

"AHHH!" I cried.

"Come at me you--" Renji got cut off by another metallic clang and Renji on the floor his Zanpaktou slid out of the way.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou--" Renji was cut off again.

"Be quiet the both of you. You both know that drawing your sword against another Shinigami is against regulations set by Yamamoto-Taichou."

Renji stood up continued to glare at me behind my angry captain.

"Mai would you like to explain this?" I nodded and started to cry as I saw Renji walk of, sheathing Zabimaru.

* * *

**A.N: **Whew, first chapter up. Took me forever to update this and edit but it's here!!!!! Just to get things strait for you maybe confused readers, Mai is my O.C. and her Zanpaktou's name is Tatsuya.

As I post this I am working on Chapter 2 so any suggestions are welcomed! I already know how she meets up with Ichigo and no I will not have her fall in love with Ichigo. (to cliche).

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

**A.N.: **YAY chapter 2 already!!!!!!! This is a very short chapter but it should help you understand things better. Mai meets Ichigo in this chappie; he's abnormaly kind to her. My motives for that are coming up in the next chapter. Oh one last thing, you get to see who Renji was jelous.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own bleach but I own Mai and Tatsuya so don't go stealing them......................

* * *

_**One week later**_

Kakura town was a smaller town with many nice people in it. One of them is Kurosaki Ichigo. He's a tall high school student with bright orange hair and orange colored eyes. He is tall, has a slender build with long legs, and has sharp facial features. I met this fellow while I was walking around town for some exercise. I just _happen_ to not pay attention to where I was going and I just _happen _to run right into him.

"Gomen!" I apologized.

"Hey, watch where you're going- oh, sorry, didn't realize you were a girl." He smiled and started to talk again. "My name's Ichigo Kurosaki, what's yours?"

"Emiko Kururugi." I lied. I was hoping he didn't see through my guise.

"So Emiko, what brings you to Kakura town? I can obviously see you're not from around here." Ichigo said.

"I transferred schools. My parents died when I was young so I had to live with my obasan but she had to move so I had to move in with my onii-chan here in Kakura Town..." It was so easy to lie then, no one knew me and my conscious was still clean.

"Must be hard to transfer like this, what school are you going to now?"

"Kakura Public High School... Not as appealing to me as the private school I used to go to but it'll do." We started talking amiably for a while, not paying any attention to the time.

* * *

_**2 hours later**_

* * *

Ichigo and I exited the now empty ramen bar and looked outside.

"Look at the time!" I said checking my watch. "I need to go, no telling what my onii-chan will do to me. Oh and thanks for dinner, I appreciate it."

"No problem! Well, see you at school Monday Emiko!" Ichigo waved goodbye to me as I walked toward my lonely apartment.

As I unlocked the door, I expected to see Renji sitting on the couch reading a comic or something. But adding to my already gloomy disposition he wasn't there. My apartment is small; one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, sitting room, dining room and "game room". Ok so it wasn't so small but it was great.

"Look Mai, he's not comin' back. He's to hurt to care for you anymore." The voice was coming from the usually empty easy chair in next to the TV. It was my Zanpaktou, Tatsuya. He has a slender build with spiky black hair, black starry eyes and fair skin.

"Tatsuya-kun, I don't need your advice now. What I need is to find a hot spring and soak all night." I dropped off my shoes at the door, sank onto the couch, and started looking at the door, rubbing my head.

"What's wrong dear?" Tatsuya got up from the seat, slinked over to me and flopped down on the 2nd cushion. He wrapped his slender arms around my waist and set his head on my shoulder. I was leaning on the arm of the couch expecting to see my Renji walk in and give me a quick kiss and say "I'm home!" but he never did.

"I met someone today. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki; he's much like you in build but has orange hair and eyes. We talked and he treated me to some dinner; he's quite a nice guy but--"

"He reminds you too much of Renji. Right?" Tatsuya smiled slightly. I nodded. "I can't hear the rocks in your head Mai."

"Yeah..." I replied softly.

"Forget about him already Mai, he's nothing compared to me. He's a mortal, prone to age and die. I don't age and I can't die." Tatsuya was whispering in my ear. I sighed.

"I wish I could but, I-I can't Tatsuya-kun I can't..." I was softly crying now not knowing when I was going to stop. Now it was Tatsuya's turn to sigh, he got up off the couch and put the kettle on the stove for some tea.

"Green or black?"

"Chai please extra sugar and put cinnamon and vanilla in it." I stopped crying long enough to reply but it send me into another crying fit. When I was feeling melancholy, Renji would always make me tea. God, I missed him so much but what I didn't know that this event would trigger events leading up to my future.


	4. Chapter 3

**A.N.: ** Chapter 3 up!!! This one is more of a filler chappie, nothing too important except character development and such

Anyway happy reading and hope you like it!!!!!

**Disclaimer: **Tatsuya: Hey!! Tite Kubo owns BLEACH but my owner, Mai, owns Mai, herself and any other of her things!! Hiken Oiete Desu!! (read on)

* * *

_**The next morning**_

* * *

I woke up from my dreamless sleep oblivious to the fact I was on the couch. Not opening my eyes I rolled to my left expecting to just roll of my bed roll and onto the soft carpeting of my floor not rolling off the couch and smacking my head on the wooden floor of my living room.

"OUCH, that hurt..." I rubbed my head as a good sized goose egg started to rise from my messy black hair.

"You need to be more careful Mai."

"Oh shut up Tatsuya..." I walked over to my kitchen to grab an ice pack from the freezer but realized that I had used them up for my ice tea 2 days ago.

"Damn it." I swore. "Things like this always seem to happen to me..." So without my ice pack I walked into my small bedroom. It was a cozy little room. Big enough for a bed roll, dresser, desk and a small but functional closet. The walls were plain white with grey and green swirls painted on them. The ceiling had a lamp that hung down like a spider. It was silver and shaped like an upside down cone. The floor was carpeted with fuzzy black carpet. I walked to my closet and grabbed a shorter black pleated skirt that reached just above my knees and a sleeveless red fitted top with a turtleneck collar and my black belted boots I so adored along with a long black leather belt. Heading to my dresser I grabbed the necessary underwear and a pair of black fingerless gloves and headed toward the bathroom for a shower.

Dropping my clothes and such on the shelf by the sink I turned on the water and waited for it to warm up. I walked back over to the mirror above the sink and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. When the water was warm enough; took a good 5 minutes; I undressed and slipped into the warm cascade I call my shower. I let the warm water splash over the top of my head and play about my feet then swirl down the small drain. It felt good to let the water pound on me; it felt like all my problems were swirling down the drain with the soap from my hair. I finished washing up and grabbed the towel off the rack and wrapped it around my body and stepped out. In the cupboard was my hairdryer but today I was just going to let it air dry so I grabbed my brush and brushed my hair out. Grabbing some bobby-pins, a couple of hair ties and some ribbon I tied my hair up in dual braid buns with tails and got dressed.

I walked into my kitchen and looked into my fridge.

"Empty, as usual." I sighed; it was about time I went shopping again. It had only been a week but what I bought didn't last me like I had hoped so I grabbed my over the shoulder bag and went to get breakfast.

* * *

_**30 minutes later**_

* * *

It was a long way toward the restaurant I wanted to go to but luckily I had scooter saved from last time I was here 4 years ago. Rounding a corner I almost ran into Ichigo again who was walking toward me.

"Watch out!!!!!!!" I was screaming at him to move and just in time he dove out of the way and onto the grass.

"OI! What was that for??" He yelled quite angrily.

"You ok Ichigo?" I asked, helping a frustrated Ichigo up.

"Yeah, I am." He replied dusting himself off and picking up his bag. "What were you doing riding a scooter like that in the middle of the sidewalk?"

"Oh, I didn't realize we couldn't ride motor scooters on the sidewalk." I said.

"Well, remember that the sidewalks are for walking and the roads are for motorized 'vehicles'" Ichigo gestured toward the road and nodded.

"Thanks Policeman-san." I stuck my tongue out at him kicked my scooter back gear and saluted Ichigo.

"Wait, where are you headed?" he asked arching his eyebrows at my pink protrusion.

"To get breakfast." I replied. "I also need to go shopping." I started moving again with Ichigo trailing me the flaps of his jacket flapping behind him noisily.

"Wait, Emiko!" He was sprinting after me and trying to catch up.

"Ha-ha strawberry!! Can't keep up? Too bad..." I laughed and turned the scooter around to face him and stopped again causing him to run into it. I laughed helped him up.

"Did you call me strawberry?" He frowned at me.

"Maybe..." I tried to look innocent as I pouted. He sighed and turned around to swear. "Did you just swear? Naughty Ichigo." I laughed again. He swore again and turned back around.

"Hey mind if I go shopping with you? I need to get a few things. My dad's busy with a patient."

"Patient? I asked.

"Yeah, he's a doctor. Not at a huge clinic but a small one attached to our house." He smiled and I got off my scooter and powered it down.

"Cool! I wish my Onii-chan was a doctor...Helping people like that." I lied again; damn it was easy to lie. Just "whoop" there goes another one. "Hey, let's go my stomach can't take much more sitting around.

"Ok." We started walking continuing to talk along the way to the store.

* * *

_**1 hour later**_

* * *

We exited the store with plastic bags of groceries and misc. things in our arms and mouths (Pocky!!!).

"Hey, want to head over to my place? It's not that far and maybe I can get my dad to give you a ride back to your place."

"You're being abnormally kind for a person who just met me." I looked at him with my head turned to the side.

"You seem different to me. Not guarded and fake like most people are when I first meet them. You seem kind and accepting and not rude and crap." He smiled again; damn, too much like Renji. I winced slightly. "What?"

"Nothing, just, you remind me of one of my old boyfriends that's all." I sighed and smiled, much like he did.

"So, are you coming to my place or what?"

"Oh, what? Y-yeah." I was thinking about Renji and the way he'd be laughing at this.

"Well, let's go then!" I put mine and Ichigo's bags on the handles of my scooter and followed the red head to his house.

"Oi dad! I'm home!"

"Ichigo, you're late!" The red head ducked as a long leg and socked foot came flying past his face landing next to me on the floor. Ichigo placed his own socked foot on the head of the man who tried to kick him.

"Oi, dad, I don't appreciate being attacked by my own family!" He rubbed said dad's head in the ground scowling and grabbed his bags and mine from my hand and left to set them in the kitchen.

"Who are you?" This black haired girl asked me looking smug.

"Karin, please don't be so rude. This is my friend, Emiko Kururugi. She moved here last week." Ichigo pointed to me as he came back and I saluted the black haired one named Karin.

"Glad to meet you Karin!" Ichigo's dad got up off the floor and tried to come at Ichigo again but stopped when he saw me.

"Who is this flower?" Ichigo sweat-dropped.

"Dad, this is my friend Emiko Kururugi. She moved here a week ago from, from...Where'd you say you were from again?"

"Osaka you doob." I stuck my tongue out at him again.

"Yeah, Osaka. Anyway, she's transferring schools and I've offered to help her take care of a few things." Ichigo scratched his head and pointed to the stairs to the left. "Well dad, me and Emiko are going upstairs and no, nothing bad is going to happen." He ushered me toward the stairs.

"Ok then Ichigo. Nice to have met you Emiko." He bowed slightly and I returned the bow, bowing just a little lower than him.

When I got upstairs Ichigo shoved me in his room and shut the door.

"Whew, I hate my dad for that stuff sometimes. I drives me nuts." He walked over to his bed and sat down. "So, Emiko, you still must be hungry. Here" He tossed me a couple of granola type things that were in his pocket.

"Thanks, so, is your dad always that eccentric?" I asked, unwrapping a bar and taking a bite.

"Unfortunately so, so those bars any good?" Ichigo motioned to the chair at his desk and I sat down and replied.

"Yeah, they are pretty good. Just needs a bit more sugar." I swung myself around in the chair, my hair swinging around my head like a mini helicopter.

"Hey watch it! I don't want my stuff destroyed by a flying piece of deadly hair." Ichigo callously stopped the chair and sent me flying into the wall by his bed.

"Hey, you doob, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why's that?" He asked arching an eyebrow at me.

"This is why!" I did a spinning kick aimed for his head but he ducked and went to punch my gut while I was still in the air.

"Nice move doob, but I can do better." I blocked his punch with the momentum of my kick and sent him sprawling and me landing in a low crouch, arms spread wide over my head. I motioned for him to come at me and hid did, sending a kick to my head that missed by 2 inches. I rolled under him and whacked his butt.

"Don't like getting beat up by a girl?" He came at me and landed a punch in my gut like he wanted to earlier. I "oofed" and doubled over but recovered quickly.

"Just shut up already and fight me!" He looked ticked as I sprinted out of his room and down the stairs and into the hall where my boots were. Ichigo followed me and was trying to kick me again as I flew over his head in a back flip, sliding a sword from the recesses of my seemingly empty boot.

"What the hell is a sword doing in your boot?!?!?" He stood there for a moment as I got into my stance; feet a foot apart knees bent slightly to allow for bounce, my torso turned sideways, left hand extended, palm facing toward me and my right hand holding my sword above my head pointing at the confused high schooler. We heard a crash coming from a far off room as Ichigo's father sprinted toward us in the hall.

"What is going on in here?" Ichigo looked at me again as I got out of stance and flipped my sword in my hand and slid it into my belt on the left side.

"Nothing dad, just practicing my karate I guess." He glared at me; a sign that meant I should follow suit.

"Yeah, just practicing. You know, stay fit and all." I smiled cheesily and Ichigo ducked again. I looked just in time to see his father landing a kick to Ichigo's head sending him crashing into a wall.

"Don't let your guard down around me!"

"AHHRRG, dad!! This is getting really frick'n annoying." He got up as if nothing happened and started sparing with his dad again; this time sending his dad into the wall where he was a second ago. "We're leaving ok?" Ichigo motioned to the door and I followed him, grabbing the sheath in my boot and re-sheathing my sword before putting it back on my belt and putting on by boots.

It was 12:00 now I wasn't as hungry as I was earlier so I didn't get anything to eat when we stopped for lunch. It didn't take long to eat and when we were done we went to the park not too far from Ichigo's. We stopped at the swings and I jumped on it like a trapeze.

"Watch this!" I swung the swing upwards making it go higher and higher, finally launching myself over the top of it and back flipping onto the sand behind me. Ichigo looked at me in awe and wanted to know where I learned how to do that.

"Gymnastics. I took it as a little girl." I jumped on the swing again. "Want me to teach you?"

"You sure?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh sure; no problem, I don't mind at all."

"Ok; but if I wind up with a broken bone or something; your dead." I showed him how to place his hands and feet on the swing so he wouldn't fall off while swinging.

"Like this...No! Too far apart...That's it; just swing higher, higher, when you get almost to the top, launch yourself upward and grab your knees. Tuck them under your gut and turn backward over the bar. Just as your about to hit halfway down unfold your knees and land in a crouch so you won't crush your legs." I watched Ichigo swing up to the bar and jump, tucking his knees just right. He flipped backward but missed his landing; he tried to un-tuck his knees but they hit the swing and he landed face first in the sand. I stifled a laugh.

"What's so funny??!!??" Ichigo spat.

"Oh nothing..." I stuck my tongue out at the mad man in front of me. "You were supposed to land; not crash!" Ichigo got up and spat the sand out of his mouth and tried again and again until once he got it.

"YES!" He whooped. He finally stuck the landing he just wasn't getting.

"A bit happy are we??" I chuckled. "You know? I may not have known you long but I can see that you love to learn things. Perfect them until you get it right or _die_." Ichigo turned around and looked at me. "What? It's true!" I smiled at him and messed up his hair.

"Why is it you can carry a sword in public without getting reprehended by authorities?" Ichigo said after coming out of minor shock.

"Don't change the subject strawberry! You know that you are stubborn; I know that you are stubborn and most everyone else knows you're stubborn." I smiled at him again, getting close to his face. "You enjoy showing off so others know that they'll feel safe..." He stopped for a second and stooped his face; covering his face. "Sch, just as I thought." I flicked his downcast forehead.

"Ouch!" He "pouted" and swore. "Hey it's none of your business how I am on the inside. Anyway how do you know this?"

"Ahhhh, let's just say that I know someone just like you in every way except looks." I smiled and looked up. Ichigo nodded and went back to the swing he was at and got back on.

"Care to join?"

"Aa." I smiled and joined him on the swing.


	5. Chapter 4

**A.N: **Sorry I havent updated in a while, I've had major writers block, anyway, chapter 4 up, it's a long one, read and review

* * *

_**Monday at school**_

This morning was as foreign a day as ever at school.

I was introduced to the class and was looked at funny by everyone, save Ichigo that is. I was told to sit between him and someone called Orihime Inue. She was normal sized (except her abnormally large breasts) with long red-orange hair and grey eyes. She greeted me kindly as I sat down.

"Ohayoo Kururugi-Chan!"

"Ohayoo!" I replied.

"Ok, ok, settle down. Today we will be reviewing factoring quadratic equations and finding their zeros. Emiko, have you all ready gone over this material yet?" the teacher asked.

"Yes Sensei I have." I replied politely.

"Good, then I won't have to catch you up. Now, get your notes out, remember, when factoring a quadratic equation, what do you do first?" she asked, 5 people raised their hands. "Emiko, why don't you tell us seeing how you have already learned this?"

"You look for the GCF."

"Which means?"

"Greatest common factor."

"Yes, you look for the greatest common factor which in this equation there is one. What would it be?" Math class went on for most of the rest of the morning before we braked for lunch which we ate on the roof, something that was slightly foreign to me.

* * *

"Hey, Emiko, sit with us!" Ichigo beckoned me with a wave or two of his hand.

"Fine, but if anyone makes a fool of me it's your fault." I sighed.

"Nah, they're a pretty good bunch of people. Let me introduce you to Chad Yasutora and Tatsuki Arisawa. You already know Orihime." He smiled as he introduced them all to me. They all greeted me politely.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Emiko Kururugi." I bowed and sat down next to them with my bento box. "Itadakimasu!" I said as we all dug into our lunches. Mine comprised of rice, some sushi, fried shrimp, dango and some mini peach blossoms.

"That's a big lunch for such a small person." Chad said.

"I'll eat most of it; the only thing that I don't usually finish is the rice." I pouted.

"Yeah, from what I've seen she can eat out a whole store if she wanted." Ichigo laughed and so did the rest of the group.

"Gee thanks, you're a real pall. But I know; I can be a real pig sometimes." We all laughed.

"So, Emiko, what school did you go to before moving here to Kakura town?"

"Ume private school for the gifted gifted meaning talented persons in need of specific 'training'." I replied.

"I've never heard of that place." Tatsuki said. "It sounds expensive though."

"Yeah, was it ever! It took 907,594 yen a semester. Though my parents left a HUGE sum of money in stock to keep my schooling going, I still needed to save up."

"907,594 yen a semester, that's too much in my opinion for school; even a private specialty school." Tatsuki harrumphed.

"I don't think so at all!" Orihime chimed in. "If it's for a good school like that then why not?"

"It's just that school is just school. If you want to shell out that much then why not use it for other nice things like a dress or a vacation or something. It's just school, the cost has nothing to do with it."

"Hey, it wasn't my doing; it was my O-tou-san. He 'forced' me to go there. I had no say in it at all." Now I harrumphed.

"Guys, I mean girls, stop arguing. It's only a school for crying out loud." Ichigo interjected.

"Aa." Chad nodded in agreement.

"Fine, fine, we'll stop, won't we?" Orihime nodded enthusiastically, Tatsuki harrumphed again.

"So, Emiko, where are you and your O-nii-san staying?" Orihime asked.

"Over at the Red Sun apartments just on the other side of Seikai road." I explained. "It's not too far from here if you have a bike or scooter like I do."

"That's cool, hey; let's finish our lunch before lunch is over." Tatsuki added.

"Good idea." Chad said; we finished our lunches on the roof of my new school; it was turning out to be a pretty good day so far.

* * *

It was towards the end of the day when Ichigo slipped a note to me, it asked if I wanted to go hang out with him Orihime and Chad later. I didn't have anything to do so I wrote sure on the folded piece of paper and slipped it back to him unnoticed, Ichigo smiled. I smiled back at him and looked up at the teacher who was writing some history on the board.

"Now, in 1336 we have Ashikaga Takauji declare himself Shogun and move the capital to Kyoto , he forces Go-Daigo to the northern part of the city and claims the southern for his own. Eventually Go-Daigo surrenders his power to Takauji and Japan becomes unified."

"Um, Sensei?" I raised my hand to ask her a question.

"Yes Emiko, what is it?"

"Ummm, Takauji didn't become Shogun until 1338; he forced Go-Daigo out in 1336. The textbook has a misprint. Also, Go-Daigo is forced to the southern court of Yoshino and Takauji goes to the northern court, to Muromachi." Most of the class made an audible gasp.

"Well, hmm, umm, s-she's right."

"How did you do that?" Ichigo asked me, eyes bugged.

"I just know my history is all, and besides, it annoys me to see misprints in textbooks."

"Yes but, I mean, most people can't even memorize the date the Tokogawa became Shogun much less anything else." I just harrumphed and waited for class to finish for the day.

"Emiko, come here please."

"What is it Sensei?"

"I was wondering how you knew all this stuff. In math you were able to solve the most difficult problem in our book without any problem; in English you translated everything almost perfectly, you also outsmarted the history book, finding 2 major flaws. How did you do that?" She looked at me with a dedicated gaze; she was going to find out no matter what.

"Umm, I just know things. It's not my fault I have a lot of useless knowledge stuffed in my head. It was all my O-tou-san's idea; he would tutor me in various useless things so I would have an equal background in loads of topics so that I could get a good job someday." I lied again; truth is I already know this stuff, I've been through high school so many times I could recite every lesson perfectly without any fault.

"Ok then, I just won't ask you as many questions any more then. Dismissed." She laughed nervously and waved me off. I walked out the door to find Tatsuya floating there waiting for me.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I managed to jump five feet in the air and make several people look at me funnily. "Gomen, it's nothing..." I bowed a few times and looked back at Tatsuya; he was just a floating head.

"Is that the way you greet your Zanpaktou?" He grinned at me.

"I hate it when you do that, it freaks me out, grow a body already, sheesh." I shook my head and started to walk to where I parked my scooter.

"Alright then, if you want a body then here you go." His head started to grow into a full body, head and all. "Is that better then dear?"

"Arigatoo, that's much better, you know better than to do that when I'm in a public place. Now you've got half the school thinking I'm a raving loony."

"Gomen, gomen, now, what are you going to do about Ichi-san and his friends. You are going to hang with them later you know." He smirked at me and poked my forehead.

"I'm heading home and calling Ichigo to find out when we're going. It's not that complicated." I sighed; it was a tedious walk to my scooter just talking to my Zanpaktou.

"Fine, but if you get all nostalgic and melancholy after this don't blame me."

"Ok then, I won't get all sad and crap."

"At a girl, you grow stronger all the time." He laughed and turned into a head again, shrinking and totally disappearing from view like he always did.

I got home about 15 minutes later and dropped my shoes at the door like always. I went to my room and changed into some more comfortable clothes. I put a black tank top on and the black skirt I wore the day I went to Ichigo's house. I slunk into the kitchen and grabbed an onigiri from the fridge, sitting back down on the couch. I grabbed the remote and turned the TV on.

"Since the first explosion in Kakura town many more have been reported. Authorities haven't said what the cause of these mysterious explosions are but many say that they have been gas related. Others say that something paranormal has been happening, either way though we'll keep you updated on this story, Saia Edogawa reporting from Yokai Subway, back to you Keiko." The reporter was standing in front of the local subway station downtown, it connected Kakura to the other Tokyo districts. Hollow loved attacking there because of all the souls that linger in the lobby of the old building.

"Thank you Saia, now to a report that just came in an hour ago, three local teenagers have been injured in a bizarre accident involving a glass bottle, some nails and a nail gun. Authorities have said that they were trying to shoot the bottle with the nail gun but wound up shooting each other instead. One of the teens was shot in the eye but the other two were only shot in the foot. The three of them are in the hospital, two of them with minor injuries, the other though is still in intensive care, and all three are stable and are expected to be just fine in a day or two." I changed the channel to the anime network to see what was on, it was Naruto Shippuden, episode 97 "The Labyrinth of Distorted Reflection". I've seen it three times already so I turned off the TV grabbed the phone and called Ichigo.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Ichigo home?" I tentatively asked.

"Who is this?"

"Mai, um Emiko Kururugi, his friend, we were supposed to hang out later today."

"Ok, hang on I'll go get him. Hey, Ichi-nii, Emiko's on the phone."

"Hey, I was just about to call you, so, you ready? I wondering if we could all meet at your house because it's about halfway between all of our houses."

"Yeah, no problem." I said, I'd have to find out something to do about my fake older brother.

"Good, we'll be there in about 20 minutes then."

"See you then, sayonara!"

"Bye!" Ichigo hung up first and I hung up second, I got up and wrapped the rest of my onigiri up in some plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge for later.

"That was a cheerful conversation." Tatsuya said from behind me, once again bodiless.

"EEK!" I shrieked. "Not again..."

"I love your reaction." Tatsuya smirked. "It gets me every time."

"I got to get ready, so leave me alone ok?" I got changed into a dark purple dress and belted boots. I let my hair hang down and didn't put any makeup on; all I had to do was to wait for Ichigo and the gang to show up.

* * *

**A.N: **Ahhh! another cliffy, :P, well I'll update it as soon as I can


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